Propellent charge holder



Dec. 17, 1946. A. ADLMAN PROPELLENT CHARGE HOLDER Filed NOV. 8, 1941 Arthur Adelman Patented Dec. i7, 194e om so (Granted under the act of March 3, issaas amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 14 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manu-` factured and used by or for the Government Vfor governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.l

This invention relates to propellent charge holders and in particular to a charge holder for the external charge increments in the mortar type of shell.

In the types of mortar shells now in use an igniting charge is carried in the tail and auxiliary charges are carried externally of the tail, usually by the stabilizing vanes. The carrying of these auxiliary charges has been variously accomplished by slipping them over the tail piece, by snapping them behind projections on the iins, by iiexing them into holes in the iins and by slipping them under spring clips.

The chief desiderata of charge-holding devices are security of holding and ease of application. None of the existing types offer both qualities to the desired degree.l In use the charges must often be adjusted by removal of increments in cold and stormy Weather and in darkness. The cold may necessitate application of the charges with gloved hands in which case charge holders requiring a ne degree of manipulation would be ruled out.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a propellent charge holder which shall be easy-of manipulation and which shall afford a secure holding of the charge.

The specic nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tail piece with fins and sheet charges therebetween.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 are views similar to that of Figure 2, showing modifications.

Figure 7 is a sectional View taken on the line '-'I of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan View of a vane with a stamped-out charge holder.

Figure 10 is a sectional View taken along the line IQ-I of Figure 9.

Figures 11, 12 and 13 are fragmentary plan views of sheet charges.

Figure 14 is a sectional View through a pair of vanes with auxiliary charge and fastening device.

Figures 15 and 18 are views similar to Figure 2 showing a modification of a charge holder.

Figures 16 and 17 are views similar to Figure 14 showing modiiications, and

Figure 19 is a plan View of a clip.l

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown in Figure'l a tail piece VI adapted to be threaded into a mortar projectile and carrying varies 2. A unit of sheet charges 3 sewed or otherwise integrated as at 4 has a slit 5 which is slipped over the head or button of a Y projection l. The -latter may befastened to the` tail i by means of -a thin base 8 and upset portions 9, by screw threads I0 (Figure 3) or by soldering or riveting II (Figure 4). In Figure 5 is shown a holder iixed to the vane which comprises a series of barbed annuli I2. An ordinary screw thread Will also accomplish a similar result. Instead of the solid projection 'I of Figure 2, a hollow eyelet may be employed, with outer end flared to form a head and the inner end crimped behind the tail piece, vane or other carrying member.

The button may also consist of a stamped-out portion I3 of the fin, having a head I4 (Figures 6 and 7), or a stamped-out portion I5 with perforation I6 for receiving a' key member I'I (Figure 8).

While the charge-receiving buttons have been shown as located between the Vanes, it will be understood that they may also be conveniently located on the faces of the varies themselves.

In Figures 9 and 10 is shown a button formed by stamping radial tongues I3 from a vane 2,y

bending them perpendicular to the vane about the common center and forming loops I4' in their extremities to constitute a head for holding a charge.

A separate fastener I8 may be employed as shown in Figure 14. This fastener is simply inserted through the charge and vane and the ends bent back, The charge is held securely enough for handling, charging and ring and is easily removed if desired by pulling the charge and fastener` from the vane. A spring type tong-like fastener I9 is shown in Figure 15 and in Figure 18 is shown a combination spring and screw type with spiral spring point 20.

The separate fastener may take the form of a single wire (Figure 19) bent to form a head 2|. The shank 22 after being threaded through the charge and Vane is bent as shown by the dotted lines to secure the assemblage.

The button may be carried by the charge and receive the vane as shown in Figures 16 and 17. In Figure 16, the fastener is shown as having a base portion 23 and a split shank or headed portion 24 forming the button. This type offers some advantages over the vane carried projection because the holding action of the headed portion Will be more rigid behind the metal vane than behind the charge. However, in all cases a compromise must be reached between the holding efficacy and ease of deliberate removal and each type may be appropriately designed for optimum performance.

In the fastener of Figure 17 a pin is split at both ends, one end being split sufficiently to form stapling arms 25 which are passed through the sheet charge and may take the place of the usual stitching. The other split end forms a contractile head 26, although the inner holding end may have any convenient form.

Figure 11 shows a sheet charge having crossed slits 5. In Figure 12, three slits form a Y for easier insertion and removal. In Figure 13 a perforation 21 is provided for receiving a button.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention comprises a means for fastening charges to projectiles which provides an optimum of security consistent with ease of placement and removal and is simple of manufacture and lovir in cost.

I claim:

1. In combination with firing componentscomprising a projectile and an external propellent charge therefor, a fastening member carried by one of said components and having a headed portion threaded laterally through the other of said components.

2. The combination as in claim 1 wherein said fastening member is carried by the projectile and the charge comprises a lateral opening for reception of the fastening member.

3. In combination with firing components comprising a projectile and an external propellent charge therefor, a fastening member carried lby one of said components and having a contractile and eXpansible headed portion threaded laterally through the other of said components.

4. In combination with firing components comprising a projectile having a tail portion, a headed protuberance exteriorly on said tail portion for receiving and retaining thereon a propellent charge.

5. In combination with firing components comprising a projectile having a tail portion and guiding vanes carried thereon, a headed protuberance on at least one of said vanes for receiving and retaining thereon a propellent charge, the protuberance adapted to extend through the charge.

6. In combination with ring components comprising a projectile having a tail portion, a protuberance threaded laterally into said tail portion and having a headed portion exteriorly of said tail portion for receiving and retaining thereon a propellent charge.

'7. In combination with ring components comprising a projectile, a tail portion and a vane member thereon, a button on said vane member for attaching a propellent charge comprising radial struck portions bent outward about a common center and adapted to extend through the charge.

8. In combination 4with firing components comprising a projectile, a tail portion and a vane member thereon, a tang on said vane member comprising an outwardly struck portion, said tang having an enlarged portion spaced from the vane.

9. The combination as in claim 8, said tang having a T-form.

10. In combination with a projectile component 'having a perforation and an external propellent charge therefor having a perforation, a fastening member having a head and threaded through said perforations and having a bent retaining portion on the end Opposite the head.

11. In combination, a propellent charge and an attaching member, said member comprising a headed portion fixed to said charge, a shank portion passing through said charge and fastening means on the end of the shank opposite the head for attachment to a projectile.

12. The combination as in claim 1l wherein said charge comprises a plurality of sheets and said attaching member comprises means for holding said sheets together.

13. In combination, a propellent charge comprising a Vplurality of sheets and an attaching member, said member comprising a headed portion, stapling means on Isaid headed portion integrating said sheets, and a shank portion passing through said sheets and having means for attachment to a projectile.

14. In combination with firing components comprising a projectile and an external propellent charge therefor, a member carried by one of said components, protruding laterally therefrom and having means for receiving and holding thereon the other of said components.

ARTHUR ADELMAN. 

